Defer your payment

You may be eligible to apply for a HECS-HELP (Commonwealth supported places) or FEE-HELP (full-fee places) loan, which can be used to defer payment of up to the full amount of your tuition or student contribution fees.

In 2017, the annual student contribution amount you will pay for a standard year of full-time study is between AU$6349 to AU$10,596.

Courses (subjects) fall into one of three bands. The band determines the student contribution amount for the course.

Amounts listed in the table below are based on a standard, full-time study load (96 credit points per year) with all courses in the same band. A proportionate fee applies for more or less than the full-time study load or for enrolment in courses (subjects) from a combination of bands.

You can learn how to calculate your exact tuition fees for units from different bands at Fees for Commonwealth supported students.

In addition to tuition fees, you will be charged an annual student services and amenities fee (SSAF), which is used to maintain and enhance services and amenities that improve your experience as an RMIT student. The SSAF is calculated based on your enrolment load and the maximum fee for 2017 is $294.

You may be eligible to apply to defer payment of the SSAF through the SA-HELP loan scheme. If you use SA‑HELP, the amount will be added to your accumulated HELP debt.

For more information about calculating your actual SSAF see Paying SSAF.

Fee assistance

Whether you are offered a Commonwealth supported place (CSP) or full-fee place in this program, the Australian Government provides financial assistance to eligible students via the HECS-HELP (CSP places) and FEE-HELP (full-fee places) loan schemes. If your loan is approved, you will be able to defer payment of up to the full amount of your tuition or student contribution fees.

You may also be eligible to apply for SA-HELP, which will allow you to defer payment of the student services and amenities fee (SSAF).

If your FEE-HELP, HECS-Help and/or SA-HELP loan application is successful, the Australian Government will pay RMIT, on your behalf, up to the full amount of your fees. This amount will become part of your accumulated HELP debt.

You will only start repaying your accumulated HELP debt to the Australian Government once you earn above the minimum income threshold for repayment, which is set each year by the Australian Government (this also applies if you are still studying).

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will calculate your compulsory repayment for the year and include this on your income tax notice.

Other support

Income support

This program is approved for income support.

You may be eligible for student income support payments from the Commonwealth Government if you are undertaking a graduate certificate, graduate diploma or an approved professionally oriented masters by coursework program.

If you are enrolled in an eligible program you will also need to satisfy all other student payment eligibility requirements.